letters to his son, 1749-第5节

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LETTER　LXVIII

LONDON；　April　19；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　This　letter　will；　I　believe；　still　find　you　at　Venice　in　all　the　dissipation　of　masquerades；　ridottos；　operas；　etc。　　With　all　my　heart；　they　are　decent　evening's　amusements；　and　very　properly　succeed　that　serious　application　to　which　I　am　sure　you　devote　your　mornings。　There　are　liberal　and　illiberal　pleasures　as　well　as　liberal　and　illiberal　arts：　There　are　some　pleasures　that　degrade　a　gentleman　as　much　as　some　trades　could　do。　　Sottish　drinking；　indiscriminate　gluttony；　driving　coaches；　rustic　sports；　such　as　fox…chases；　horse…races；　etc。；　are　in　my　opinion　infinitely　below　the　honest　and　industrious　profession　of　a　tailor　and　a　shoemaker；　which　are　said　to　'deroger'。

As　you　are　now　in　a　musical　country；　where　singing；　fiddling；　and　piping；　are　not　only　the　common　topics　of　conversation；　but　almost　the　principal　objects　of　attention；　I　cannot　help　cautioning　you　against　giving　in　to　those　（I　will　call　them　illiberal）　pleasures　（though　music　is　commonly　reckoned　one　of　the　liberal　arts）　to　the　degree　that　most　of　your　countrymen　do；　when　they　travel　in　Italy。　　If　you　love　music；　hear　it；　go　to　operas；　concerts；　and　pay　fiddlers　to　play　to　you；　but　I　insist　upon　your　neither　piping　nor　fiddling　yourself。　　It　puts　a　gentleman　in　a　very　frivolous；　contemptible　light；　brings　him　into　a　great　deal　of　bad　company；　and　takes　up　a　great　deal　of　time；　which　might　be　much　better　employed。　　Few　things　would　mortify　me　more；　than　to　see　you　bearing　a　part　in　a　concert；　with　a　fiddle　under　your　chin；　or　a　pipe　in　your　mouth。

I　have　had　a　great　deal　of　conversation　with　Comte　du　Perron　and　Comte　Lascaris　upon　your　subject：　and　I　will　tell　you；　very　truly；　what　Comte　du　Perron　（who　is；　in　my　opinion；　a　very　pretty　man）　said　of　you：　'Il　a　de　l'esprit；　un　savoir　peu　commun　a　son　age；　une　grande　vivacite；　et　quand　il　aura　pris　des　manieres　il　sera　parfait；　car　il　faut　avouer　qu'il　sent　encore　le　college；　mars　cela　viendra'。　　I　was　very　glad　to　hear；　from　one　whom　I　think　so　good　a　judge；　that　you　wanted　nothing　but　'des　manieres'；　which　I　am　convinced　you　will　now　soon　acquire；　in　the　company　which　henceforward　you　are　likely　to　keep。　　But　I　must　add；　too；　that　if　you　should　not　acquire　them；　all　the　rest　will　be　of　little　use　to　you。　By　'manieres'；　I　do　not　mean　bare　common　civility；　everybody　must　have　that　who　would　not　be　kicked　out　of　company；　but　I　mean　engaging；　insinuating；　shining　manners；　distinguished　politeness；　an　almost　irresistible　address；　a　superior　gracefulness　in　all　you　say　and　do。　It　is　this　alone　that　can　give　all　your　other　talents　their　full　lustre　and　value；　and；　consequently；　it　is　this　which　should　now　be　thy　principal　object　of　your　attention。　　Observe　minutely；　wherever　you　go；　the　allowed　and　established　models　of　good…breeding；　and　form　yourself　upon　them。　　Whatever　pleases　you　most　in　others；　will　infallibly　please　others　in　you。　　I　have　often　repeated　this　to　you；　now　is　your　time　of　putting　it　in　practice。

Pray　make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　I　have　received　his　letter　from　Vienna　of　the　16th　N。　S。；　but　that　I　shall　not　trouble　him　with　an　answer　to　it　till　I　have　received　the　other　letter　which　he　promises　me；　upon　the　subject　of　one　of　my　last。　　I　long　to　hear　from　him　after　your　settlement　at　Turin：　the　months　that　you　are　to　pass　there　will　be　very　decisive　ones　for　you。　　The　exercises　of　the　Academy；　and　the　manners　of　courts　must　be　attended　to　and　acquired；　and；　at　the　same　time；　your　other　studies　continued。　　I　am　sure　you　will　not　pass；　nor　desire；　one　single　idle　hour　there：　for　I　do　not　foresee　that　you　can；　in　any　part　of　your　life；　put　out　six　months　to　greater　interest；　than　those　next　six　at　Turin。

We　will　talk　hereafter　about　your　stay　at　Rome　and　in　other　parts　of　Italy。　　This　only　I　will　now　recommend　to　you；　which　is；　to　extract　the　spirit　of　every　place　you　go　to。　　In　those　places　which　are　only　distinguished　by　classical　fame；　and　valuable　remains　of　antiquity；　have　your　classics　in　your　hand　and　in　your　head；　compare　the　ancient　geography　and　descriptions　with　the　modern；　and　never　fail　to　take　notes。　Rome　will　furnish　you　with　business　enough　of　that　sort；　but　then　it　furnishes　you　with　many　other　objects　well　deserving　your　attention；　such　as　deep　ecclesiastical　craft　and　policy。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LXIX

LONDON；　April　27；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received　your　letter　from　Vienna；　of　the　19th　N。　S。；　which　gives　me　great　uneasiness　upon　Mr。　Harte's　account。　　You　and　I　have　reason　to　interest　ourselves　very　particularly　in　everything　that　relates　to　him。　　I　am　glad；　however；　that　no　bone　is　broken　or　dislocated；　which　being　the　case；　I　hope　he　will　have　been　able　to　pursue　his　journey　to　Venice。　　In　that　supposition　I　direct　this　letter　to　you　at　Turin；　where　it　will　either　find；　or　at　least　not　wait　very　long　for　you；　as　I　calculate　that　you　will　be　there　by　the　end　of　next　month；　N。　S。　　I　hope　you　reflect　how　much　you　have　to　do　there；　and　that　you　are　determined　to　employ　every　moment　of　your　time　accordingly。　　You　have　your　classical　and　severer　studies　to　continue　with　Mr。　Harte；　you　have　your　exercises　to　learn；　the　turn　and　manners　of　a　court　to　acquire；　reserving　always　some　time　for　the　decent　amusements　and　pleasures　of　a　gentleman。　　You　see　I　am　never　against　pleasures；　I　loved　them　myself　when　I　was　of　your　age；　and　it　is　as　reasonable　that　you　should　love　them　now。　　But　I　insist　upon　it　that　pleasures　are　very　combinable　with　both　business　and　studies；　and　have　a　much　better　relish　from　the　mixture。　　The　man　who　cannot　join　business　and　pleasure　is　either　a　formal　coxcomb　in　the　one；　or　a　sensual　beast　in　the　other。　　Your　evenings　I　therefore　allot　for　company；　assemblies；　balls；　and　such　sort　of　amusements；　as　I　look　upon　those　to　be　the　best　schools　for　the　manners　of　a　gentleman；　which　nothing　can　give　but　use；　observation；　and　experience。　　You　have；　besides；　Italian　to　learn；　to　which　I　desire　you　will　diligently　apply；　for　though　French　is；　I　believe；　the　language　of　the　court　at　Turin；　yet　Italian　will　be　very　necessary　for　you　at　Rome；　and　in　other　parts　of　Italy；　and　if　you　are　well　grounded　in　it　while　you　are　at　Turin　（as　you　easily　may；　for　it　is　a　very　easy　language）；　your　subsequent　stay　at　Rome　will　make　you　perfect　in　it。　　I　would　also　have　you　acquire　a　general　notion　of　fortification；　I　mean　so　far　as　not　to　be　ignorant　of　the　terms；　which　you　will　often　hear　mentioned　in　company；　such　as　ravelin；　bastion；　glacis；　contrescarpe；　etc。　　In　order　to　this；　I　do　not　propose　that　you　should　make　a　study　of　fortification；　as　if　you　were　to　be　an　engineer；　but　a　very　easy　way　of　knowing　as　much　as　you　need　know　of　them；　will　be　to　visit　often　the　fortifications　of　Turin；　in　company　with　some　old　officer　or　engineer；　who　will　show　and　explain　to　you　the　several　works　themselves；　by　which　means　you　will　get　a　clearer　notion　of　them　than　if　you　were　to　see　them　only　upon　paper　for　seven　years　together。　　Go　to　originals　whenever　you　can；　and　trust　to　copies　and　descriptions　as　little　as　possible。　　At　your　idle　hours；　while　you　are　at　Turin；　pray　read　the　history　of　the　House　of　Savoy；　which　has　produced　a　great　many　very　great　men。　　The　late　king；　Victor　Amedee；　was　undoubtedly　one；　and　the　present　king　is；　in　my　opinion；　another。　　In　general；　I　believe　that　little　princes　are　more　likely　to　be　great　men　than　those　whose　more　extensive　dominions　and　superior　strength　flatter　them　with　a　security；　which　commonly　produces　negligence　and　indolence。　　A　little　prince；　in　the　neighborhood　of　great　ones；　must　be　alert　and　look　out　sharp；　if　he　would　secure　his　own　dominions：　much　more　still　if　he　would　enlarge　them。　　He　must　watch　for　conjunctures　or　endeavor　to　make　them。　No　princes　have　ever　possessed　this　art　better　than　those　of　the　House　of　Savoy；　who　have　enlarged　their　dominions　prodigiously　within　a　century　by　profiting　of　conjunctures。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　a　letter　from　Comte　Lascaris；　who　is　a　warm　friend　of　yours：　I　desire　that　you　will　answer　it　very　soon　and　cordially；　and　remember　to　make　your　compliments　in　it　to　Comte　du　Perron。　　A　young　man　should　never　be　wanting　in　those　attentions；　they　cost　little　and　bring　in　a　great　deal；　by　getting　you　people's　good　word　and　affection。　　They　gain　the　heart；　to　which　I　have　always　advised　you　to　apply　yourself　particularly；　it　guides　ten　thousand　for　one　that；　reason　influences。

I　cannot　end　this　letter　or　（I　believe）　any　other；　without　repeating　my　recommendation　of　THE　GRACES。　　They　are　to　be　met　with　at　Turin：　for　God's　sake；　sacrifice　to　them；　and　they　will　be　propitious。　　People　mistake　grossly；　to　imagine　that　the　least　awkwardness；　either　in　matter　or　manner；　mind　or　body；　is　an　indifferent　thing　and　not　worthy　of　attention。　　It　may　possibly　be　a　weakness　in　me；　but　in　short　we　are　all　so　made：　I　confess　to　you　fairly；　that　when　you　shall　come　home　and　that　I　first　see　you；　if　I　find　you　ungraceful　in　your　address；　and　awkward　in　your　person　and　dress；　it　will　be　impossible　for　me　to　love　you　half　so　well　as　I　should　otherwise　do；　let　your　intrinsic　merit　and　knowledge　be　ever　so　great。　　If　that　would　be　your